BELVAU: Brick vaults and beyond: the transformation of a historical structural system (1830-1930)

Abstract:
Today, building vaults is no longer part of everyday building practice. However, for centuries vaults had been regarded as the ideal structure to span imposing spaces in cloisters, churches, cathedrals and palaces. Several studies have been devoted to the topic worldwide and cover the evolution of vaulting from Antiquity until its decline, typically situated around the 18th century.

However, the introduction of new construction materials in the 19th and 20th centuries such as iron, steel and reinforced concrete, together with changing architectural styles and functional needs, growing structural insights and a better delineation of the role of building actors, ensures this later period is exciting to study.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 833030